Back in the 'Burg, Bitches! :)

This was, quite literally, my day job

So with my return to the Mid-Atlantic, I am now within reasonable driving distance of the most magical place on earth: Middleburg, Virginia.  I used to live and ride professionally in the Middleburg/Upperville areas, and during that time I completely fell in love with it.  Like, head over heels in love, and if there was one place I wish I could go when I die, it would be there.

Also because of the greatest secret known to man:  The Middleburg Tack Exchange.  Like you didn't see that one coming.

So I may or may not (just kidding...I totally did) have gone to the Tack Exchange on at least a weekly basis when I used to live in the area.  You can get some really nice deals on great stuff, everything from bridles to boots, melton hunt coats to soft shells, saddles to fly scrims.  And jockey whips.  And hunt appointments.  And those snazzy colored boot socks.  And ALL THE BREECHES.  Basically, if it's there, then you need it.  You may just not know it yet, but get it anyway.

From http://www.threedaysthreewaysblog.com

Suffice it to say, when I have a four-day holiday weekend, I'm going to Middleburg.  And dammit, I'm going to the Exchange first to see what deals I can find before any other tack shop gets my business.  And as I expected, my journey yielded great conquest.

I went in to drop off two pairs of new Tailored Sportsman breeches (one pair I had actually purchased new from the Exchange before leaving Virginia...shockingly enough, I did not ever wear those damn whites) and my second pair of Ariat field boots.  I bought them new back in the day; those field boots are about eight or nine years old (before Ariat move production of their boots to China), but only seen about four days of work their entire lives.  I had to have a zipper and wider gusset installed after getting back into riding and dusting them off, and even then, they still didn't feel right, so I decided to unload.  I got those items consigned, and then decided to have a look around the shop for old time's sake.  And by "look around" I mean yeah, I was definitely going to buy something.

With my new custom Dehner field boots arriving by the end of the summer and my current (13 year old) Ariats ready to die three years ago, I thought I might look downstairs to see if there was a decent pair of field boots I might use as a schooling/beater set.  And then there they were: a relatively new pair of Ariat zip up field boots, worn just enough to be broken in (kind of) and they FIT. LIKE. A. GLOVE.  So for $195, yes, I will take those thankyouverymuch.  Now I have a reasonably attractive schooling set of boots which will save my uber beautiful Dehners a little extra wear and tear around the barn or when the weather is gross.  I rode in them that afternoon and they were great.  Now my beloved old Ariats can retire for good, before they completely disintegrate around my feet.

....yup.

YAY!

I also snagged a sweet pair of rubber-lined leather galloping boots for Soon, because you can never have too many horse boots and I *might* actually need those rubber-lined leather ones, for something, someday.  For $35, why not?  When I was consolidating my horse stuff last summer, I asked myself how I possibly ended up with four tack trunks worth of shit, and this is exactly how something like that happens.  I got another leather halter at the Exchange before wandering down the street to the Tack Box, where I added a blanket rack, two boxes of Ulcergard, and front and hind brushing boots to the day's take.

So maybe I didn't need to drop cash, but it's Middleburg, so...